— Bayero’s family, aides pay homage
By Bashir Mohammed and Aliyu Askira, Kano
The new Emir of Kano, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday said the Fulani ruling house in Kano was strong, united and cohesive.
Sanusi on Sunday succeeded Alhaji Ado Bayero, who died on Friday.
His appointment was trailed by pockets of protests in Kano City by people who had wanted one of Bayero’s sons to ascend the throne.
Delivering his maiden speech while receiving his formal letter of appointment from Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso as the 14th Fulani Emir of Kano, Sanusi also described those causing disaffection to disunite the ruling house as miscreants precipitating anarchy to serve their whims and caprices.
According to him, the royal family was so strong, cohesive and united that it could not be penetrated by “agents of anarchy” whose sole preoccupation was to cause chaos.
He said his relationship with all members of the family had been very cordial.
The emir said: “I have been with my senior wife, who is the daughter of the late emir of Kano, for the past twenty-five years and (we are) blessed with seven children. They are all the grandsons of the late emir. People are unnecessarily being petty.”
He assured that his tenure would witness rapid transformation in line with the indices of modern aristocracy, affirming that he was poised to carry everybody along without discrimination or segregation.
“As a blue blood, I know what it takes to make the royalty tick,” Sanusi said. “I will do all that I can to enhance the image and credibility of the revered Kano Emirate.”
He commended Kwankwaso for effecting the appointment and pledged to work hard to fulfill his obligation.
The government also yesterday dispatched a letter to the state House of Assembly to give the appointment a legislative backing.
Meanwhile, the late Emir Bayero’s family, through the Chiroma, Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero, yesterday described the protest that broke out as unfortunate, pointing out that he was a bonafide son of the family.
The Chiroma, who is the eldest son of Ado Bayero, had also been favoured to succeed his father, failure of which triggered the mass protest.
The family and other top aides of Bayero declared their support for the new emir and pledged to work with him.
They included the Shamaki (palace chief servant), Danrimi (deputy chief servant), Sallama (principal private secretary), Maja Sirdi (officer in charge of court horses), Kilishi (officer in charge of seat), Babban Zagi (lead officer), Sarkin Malafa (officer in charge of crown), Figinai (officer in charge of fan), Masurtan Fada (the palace drummers, trumpeters and other entertainers) all paid allegiance and gathered around the new emir.
Meanwhile, protest for and against the new emir’s appointment continued for a second day yesterday.
Anti-Sanusi elements massed at his personal residence in the Chiranchi quarters of the city, throwing missiles at windows and breaking glasses.
The house of the new emir’s mother was also attacked by protesters who also vandalised some street lights and burnt many red caps that signify Kwankwaso.
Those in Sanusi’s support, some of whom were said to be members of the governor’s political group, the Kwankwasiyya Movement, marched in their thousands through the streets shouting slogans like “Nigeria sai Kwankwaso! Kano sai Sanusi Lamido Sanusi!”
The group, many of whom came from the 44 local government areas of the state, took off from the government house and went to the emir’s palace.
As they moved along, they forced drivers who had fixed tree leaves on their cars as a sign of protest against the emir to remove them or face the consequences.
Our correspondent has learnt further why the anti-Sanusi protests broke out.
A curious development had emerged on Sunday night when one of the four kingmakers, the Madakin Kano, who chaired the committee of kingmakers that selected candidates for new emir and forwarded them to the state government, had announced on the radio that the name of Lamido Sanusi was not among those considered for appointment and vowed that they would not cooperate with the new emir.
A source within the late emir’s family told Blueprint that before the new emir emerged they had been told by officials of the state government and other emirs who visited them that the Chiroma was chosen to succeed his father.
They added that when the secretary to the state government (SSG), accompanied by the Kwara state governor, visited the palace on Sunday there was open jubilation as a rumour circulated that the Chiroma was the new emir.
“At this point, the Chiroma came out of the chamber where they were receiving visitors and proceeded to prepare for his crowning at a mosque behind the palace,” the source said.
The source added that some bodyguards (dogarai) opened the late emir’s garage and cleaned his car that would convey the Chiroma to the mosque for the crowning.
Some people had by then posted the rumour on social media that the Chiroma was the chosen one, and congratulations began to pour in for him.
It was also gathered that chieftains of the All Peoples Congress (APC), led by the party’s leader Bola Ahmed Tinubu, were at the government house in Kano to help persuade Kwankwaso to make Sanusi the emir.
Many observers believed the contest for the emirship was a party affair between the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).